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Advent Plans 2016

by Filed Under: 12 December, Advent Leave a Comment

The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord — both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time… The Christmas season does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn’t end liturgically until the Octave of the Epiphany on January 14. It goes on in the spiritual sense until Candlemas on February 2, when all celebrations of Christ’s Childhood give way to Septuagesima and Lent.

 

Advent: advent-calendar-and-plans

 

Christkindl {Christ Child}

by Filed Under: 12 December, Advent, Christkindl Leave a Comment

The beautiful thing about this particular custom is that the relationship is a reciprocal one. The person whose name I have drawn and who is under my care becomes for me the helpless little Christ Child in the manger; and as I am performing these many little acts of love and consideration for someone in the family I am really doing them for the Infant of Bethlehem, according to the word, “And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.” That is why this  particular person turns into “my Christkindl.” At the same time I am the “Christkindl” also for the one I am caring for because I want to imitate the Holy Child and render all those little services in the same spirit as He did in that small house of Nazareth, when as a child He served His Mother and His foster father with a similar love and devotion.                                                                                                                             

~ Around the Year with the TRAPP FAMILY

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This is such a simple tradition but it provides a beautiful and joyful anticipation within our home as we prepare for Jesus Christ.   Each child gets a checklist to help them stay accountable (see printable link at the end of the post).  The numbered boxes represents a day in Advent (this year Advent starts on Nov. 27) to Christmas Day.  
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Here is how it works!
INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Write names of all family members on pieces of paper. *
  2. Place all family member’s names (on folded paper for secrecy) in a container.
  3. Take turns drawing a name.  The person whose name one has drawn in now in one’s special care.
  4. From this day  (Start of Advent) until Christmas, one has to do as many little favors for him or her as one can.
  5. One has to provide at least one surprise every single day — but without ever being found out. Use the printable Christkindl checklist for accountability.
*Adjust who is included in your Christkndl as it works best for your family.  For families that are smaller, include other distant family or friends.  One could even adopt a neighbor, single or windowed parishioner, etc..
This creates a wonderful atmosphere of joyful suspense, kindness, and thoughtfulness. Perhaps you will find that somebody has made your bed or shined your shoes or has informed you, in a disguised handwriting on a holy card, that “a rosary has been said for you today” or a number of sacrifices have been offered up. This new relationship is called “Christkindl” (Christ Child) in the old country, where children believe that the Christmas tree and the gifts under it are brought down by the Christ Child himself.
Get your printable at the link below, share freely!  I’d love to hear about your family’s experience with Christkindl or other favorite family traditions.
christkndl-printable
Print as a single page or 2 copies per page

Advent Plan {Printable}

by Filed Under: 12 December, Advent Leave a Comment

If our holy mother the Church spends the time of Advent in this solemn preparation for the threefold coming of Jesus Christ; if, after the example of the prudent virgins, she keeps her lamp lit ready for the coming of the Bridegroom; we, being her members and her children, ought to enter into her spirit, and apply to ourselves this warning of our Saviour: ‘Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and ye yourselves be like unto men who wait for their Lord!’ [St. Luke xii. 35, 36]. ~Dom Prosper Guéranger

advent-plan-printable-2016-joyfilledfamily

We observe a “mini-Lent” throughout Advent, a “Lent” with a joyful Alleluia.

It is evident, from what we have said, that Advent is a season specially devoted to the exercises of what is called the purgative life, which is implied in that expression of St. John, so continually repeated by the Church during this holy time: Prepare ye the way of the Lord! Let all, therefore, strive earnestly to make straight the path by which Jesus will enter into their souls. Let the just, agreeably to the teaching of the apostle, forget the things that are behind [Phil. iii. 13], and labour to acquire fresh merit. Let sinners begin at once and break the chains which now enslave them. Let them give up those bad habits which they have contracted. Let them weaken the flesh, and enter upon the hard work of subjecting it to the spirit. Let them, above all things, pray with the Church. And when our Lord comes, they may hope that He will not pass them by, but that He will enter and dwell within them; for He spoke of all when He said these words: ‘Behold I stand at the gate and knock: if any man shall hear My voice will open to Me the door, I will come in unto him.’ [Apoc. ii. 20].  ~The Liturgical Year, by Dom Prosper Guéranger

Our days are not perfect but we seek to persevere in daily prayers, spiritual readings, and almsgiving – all in joyful waiting and desire to prepare our hearts for the coming of JESUS CHRIST.

Below is a printable that we use to help us along our Advent journey.  You’re invited to use it as it best suits your family and Advent plans.

advent-plan-joyfilledfamily

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May you have a holy and fruitful Advent.

advent-printable

For a more complete planner system – check out our Advent Planner.

Christmas Novena Reminders

by Filed Under: 11 November Saints, Advent, Christmas, Novena, St. Andrew 4 Comments

***See the newest post for more Christmas Novena Images & Printables.

 

Below are images to use as reminders on your tech gadgets and social media outlets.  You are invited to use the images for your personal use and share freely.

Christmas Novena Lock Screen

This image can be saved on your phone or iPad and set as your lock screen and wallpaper.

Christmas Novena

This image can be used as a FaceBook cover photo or a blog header.

I’ve also formatted a page of printable holy cards for the  Christmas Novena   They can be used alone or used when making a  Christmas Novena Chaplet.

Prayers for a blessed and fruitful Advent!

 

 

Click here to download a new version of the
Christmas Novena Prayer Card

St. Lucia, ora pro nobis!

by Filed Under: 12 December, 12 December Saints, Advent, St. Lucia, St. Lucy Leave a Comment

stlucy

Saint Lucia
Virgin and Martyr

Feast – December 13

Lucy, patron of Sicily, and one of the saints of the Canon of the Mass, was martyred at Syracuse in the persecution of Diocletian about the year 304. The legend of her martyrdom says that she was denounced as a Christian by a rejected suitor. Refusing to apostatize, she was condemned to a brothel, but a mysterious force prevented the persecutors from moving her from the tribunal. After an unsuccessful attempt had been made to burn her to death, her neck was pierced with a dagger.

Prayer in Honor of St. Lucy

O God, our Creator and Redeemer, Mercifully hear our prayers that a we venerate Thy servant, St. Lucy, for the light of faith Thou didst bestow upon her, Thou wouldst vouchsafe to increase and to preserve this same light in our souls, that we may be able to avoid evil, to do good and to abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

Relying on Thy goodness, O God, we humbly ask Thee, by the intercession of Thy servant, St. Lucy that Thou wouldst give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for Thy greater honor and glory, and for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in paradise.

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear our prayer and obtain our petitions.

~~~santalucia14

Dad has Scandinavian and Italian blood but we celebrate this glorious feast day because we are Catholic and seek the intercession of  our beloved St. Lucia.  We seek her intercession in a special way this year.  SANTA LUCIA, ORA PRO NOBIS.

One of the most enjoyable ways to teach our children the richness of the Catholic Faith and to keep them close to the Holy Mother Church is to fill their lives with the sacred and the beautiful.  When they are immersed in the reverence and silence of the Traditional Latin Mass, when they grow accustomed to the rhythm and rituals of following and celebrating the feast days, both at Church and at home, these traditions become such an integral part of them that the thought of not being Catholic will seem empty and meaningless.

Sparkles and Sweetie decided to spear head our Santa Lucia feast day.  The scoured their recipes in search of a new twist.  Our simple celebration started the night before since I’m on bed-rest and there is no telling what will come at any given moment.  The girls prepped their treats with some help from Star Boys, Papi and Dragonfly.sparklessantalucia

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The girls woke us up by candlelight and led us downstairs to a beautiful spread.  Dad played “Santa Lucia” (click to hear) as we processed.

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PRAYER TO ST. LUCY, PATRON OF THE EYES

We present ourselves before thee, O virgin Martyr, beseeching thee to obtain for us that we may recognize in His lowliness that same Jesus Whom thou now seest in His glory. Take us under thy powerful patronage. Thy name signifies light; guide us through the dark night of this life. O fair light of virginity! enlighten us; evil concupiscence has wounded our eyes: pray for us, O thou bright light of virginity! that our blindness be healed, and that rising above created things, we may be able to see that true light, which shineth in darkness, but which darkness cannot comprehend. Pray for us, that our eye may be purified, and may see, in the Child who is to be born at Bethlehem, the new Man, the second Adam, the model on Which the life of our regeneration must be formed. Pray too, O holy virgin, for the Church of Rome and for all those which adopt her form of the holy Sacrifice; for they daily pronounce at the altar of God thy sweet name; and the Lamb, Who is present, loves to hear it. Heap thy choicest blessings on the fair Isle, which was thy native land, and where grew the palm of thy Martyrdom. May thy intercession secure to her inhabitants firmness of faith, purity of morals, and temporal prosperity, and deliver them from the disorders which threaten her with destruction.

~~~

Resources:

St. Lucia JOYfilledfamily Pinterest Board

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St Lucia Day 2014

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Today our parish also celebrated with a  Solemn Rorate Mass.  The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning.  As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.


The piece is “Gabriel’s Message,” a traditional Basque Advent carol, sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish on the album “The Little Road to Bethlehem.”

This video was created by a talented parishioner, Jennifer Rego.

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